Inexpensive Digital Thermometers

Published April 2016

How we tested

The axiom “knowledge is power”
holds especially true in the kitchen—the
more you know about what’s going
on inside your food as it cooks, the
more you can control the result. That’s
why we’re so gung ho about using
an instant-read thermometer in the
kitchen, as more control means less
stress and better results.

In fact, the test kitchen might be
described as fanatical when it comes to
thermometers. Over the years we’ve
learned that it pays to monitor the
temperature not only of meat but also
of pies, cakes, breads, poaching water,
butter, tea, coffee, caramel, custards,
and even baked potatoes. And if you’re
going to use a thermometer, it should
be a digital instant-read model (old dial
thermometers are slow and inaccurate in
comparison). Our go-to is the Thermapen
from ThermoWorks, which is
unquestionably the best digital kitchen
thermometer on the market.

But at $79 for the basic Thermapen
model and $99 for the deluxe, it is
an investment. In search of a cheaper
alternative, we set out to test inexpensive
digital thermometers and find out
which model reigns supreme. In selecting
our lineup, we capped the price at
$35. But as we were narrowing our
testing field, we found many thermometers
that only read up to about 300
degrees—fine for meat but not much else. So we added another qualifier to
our selection process: Each thermometer
had to read up to around 400
degrees so that it could be used when
making candy, caramel, and other foods
requiring high temperatures.

We ran the thermometers through
a battery of tests, including taking the
temperature of ice water, boiling water,
roasted chicken thighs, and bubbling
caramel. Through each test we evaluated
every model’s accuracy, speed, usability,
visibility, comfort, and durability with a
mix of lefties, righties, small- and large-handed
testers, professional chefs, and
lay cooks.

A good digital thermometer needs
to be accurate—otherwise, what’s the
point? Aside from a few buggy models,
most thermometers in our lineup were
indeed accurate. We next turned to
speed and were pleased to find that
three-quarters of the thermometers gave
accurate readings in under 10 seconds,
with the fastest ones clocking in at just
over 6 seconds. Most of the thermometers
were accurate and reasonably fast,
but that doesn’t mean they were always
easy to use.

Our testers found three major factors
that impacted how user-friendly the
thermometers were: length, grip, and
visibility. Regarding length, the eight
thermometers ranged from 5.75 to 8.75
inches long, and we found that longer
was better—otherwise, our hands were
too close to the heat, and we had to
fumble with bulky potholders.

Next up was grip. All of the thermometers
have two basic parts, a long
metal probe and a head with a digital
screen, but only some felt ergonomic
and secure in our hands. A few only
allowed for dainty two-fingered grips,
like a damsel waving a hanky, which
simply won’t do when you’re spearing a
chicken thigh that’s spitting hot fat.

Lastly, visibility. Larger and clearer
displays were best. Testers also preferred
screens situated on the side of
the thermometer’s head as opposed to
on top, because they were easier to read
from different angles. The best thermometer
was lollipop-shaped and had
a display that was visible at any angle
for both lefties and righties. Said model
was also fast, accurate, and easy to use.
Manufactured by the same company
as the Thermapen, the ThermoWorks
ThermoPop ($29) is our top pick for
the budget-conscious cook.

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The Results

Winner

Recommended

Design Trifecta 360 Knife Block

Admittedly expensive, this handsome block certainly seemed to live up to its billing as “the last knife block you ever have to buy.” The heaviest model in our testing, this block was ultrastable, and its durable bamboo exterior was a breeze to clean. Well-placed medium-strength magnets made it easy to attach all our knives, and a rotating base gave us quick access to them. One tiny quibble: The blade of our 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a little.

$248.64*

Buy Now

Recommended

Schmidt Brothers Downtown Block

This roomy block completely sheathed our entire winning knife set using just one of its two sides—and quite securely, thanks to long, medium-strength magnet bars. Heavy, with a grippy base, this block was very stable. An acrylic guard made this model extra-safe but also made it a little trickier to insert knives and to clean; the wood block itself showed some minor cosmetic scratching during use.

$141.90*

Buy Now

Schmidt Brothers Midtown Block

This smaller version of the Downtown Block secured all our knives nicely, though the blade of the slicing knife stuck out a bit. With a base lined with grippy material, this block was very stable. An acrylic guard afforded extra protection against contact with blades but made it a little harder to insert knives and to clean; the wood itself got a little scratched during use.

$67.99*

Buy Now

Recommended with Reservations

Swissmar Bamboo Magnetic Knife Block

This small, scratch-resistant model had a stable, rubber-lined base and could hold all our knives, though the blade of the 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a bit. But inch-long gaps between its small magnets made coverage uneven and forced us to find the magnetic hot spots in order to secure the knives. Its acrylic guard made it safer to use but harder to insert knives and to clean.

$49.93*

Not Recommended

Messermeister Walnut Magnet Block

This handsome block was done in by its shape—a tippy, top-heavy quarter-circle that wasn’t tall or broad enough to keep the blades of three knives from poking out. It lacked a nonslip base, and its extra-strong magnets made it unnerving to attach or remove our heavy cleaver. Finally, it got a bit scratched after extensive use.

$129.95*

Epicurean Standing Knife Rack 12"

This magnetic block sheathed all our knives completely, though with a bit of crowding. But it was hard to insert each knife without hitting the block’s decorative slats on way down, and because the block was light and narrow, it wobbled when bumped. Worse, we couldn’t take it apart, so splatters that hit the interior were there to stay. Additionally, the outside stained easily, and when we wiped it down, the unit smelled like wet dog.

$99.95*

Kapoosh Rondelle Knife Block

This model stabilized knives with a mass of stiff, spaghetti-like bristles that shed and nicked easily after extensive use, covering our knives with plastic debris. While all our knives fit securely, several of the blades stuck out, making this unit feel less safe overall. Finally, though the bristles could be removed and cleaned in the dishwasher, their nooks and crannies made this block hard to wash by hand.

$24.99*

Kuhn Rikon Vision Knife Block, Clear

This plastic block required us to aim each knife into the folds of an accordion-pleated insert that was removable for easy cleaning but got nicked easily with repeated use. Because we could only insert the knives vertically, longer knife blades stuck out; a cleaver was too wide to fit. The lightest model in our lineup, this block was dangerously top-heavy when loaded with knives.

$35.88*

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